Woman held captive slips note to veterinarian staff

DeLAND, Fla. – A Florida man is accused of holding his girlfriend captive after she slipped a note to a veterinarian saying he had a gun.

The woman says the man repeatedly beat and threatened her. She was able to convince him they needed to take their dog to the vet, where staff called the police when they got her note.

When a couple and their dog walked into the Deland Animal Hospital Friday evening, the woman appearing shaken, handed a clinic worker a note that read: "Call the cops. My boyfriend is threatening me. He has a gun. Please don't let him know."

WESH reported the woman, Caroline Reichle, later told investigators she persuaded her boyfriend, Jeremy Floyd, to bring their dog to the clinic as a way to escape his physical abuse.

According to the arrest affidavit, the worker inside the animal hospital quickly got the message and called DeLand Police. They came in, arrested the suspect and held him for deputies.

Reichle said this all started Wednesday at the home the couple share.
She told officers Floyd would not let her leave, and when the two wrestled over a gun, two shots were fired.

She says she was also beaten that night and Thursday, prompting her to come up with the plan to lead Floyd to the veterinary clinic and signal staff for help.

Floyd has a criminal history that includes burglary, possession and sale of drugs and grand theft motor vehicle, for which he was convicted in 2016, and sent to state prison for more than a year.

Reichle was treated for a head injury, black eye and arm bruises at Florida Hospital DeLand.